Sally Helanna Matthews (born July 1975) is a British operatic soprano.
Early life
She was born in Southampton; her father was an aspiring popular musician. She recalls that, coming from a musical family, she "sang constantly just to pass the time. When I was ten, I started studying with Cynthia Jolly, who had a career as a singer and later became a writer". Studies with Jolly continued until she was 18, and later her teacher at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama was Johanna Peters, although her technique was already set.[1]
Andrew Porter noted in Opera that her rendition of 'O mio babbino caro' in a Guildhall School performance, was "with pure timbre, emotional phrasing, and a swell that would break a heart of stone".[2]
Career
She made her professional debut at the Royal Opera House in January 2001[3] as Nannetta in Verdi's Falstaff conducted by Bernard Haitink. In this acclaimed Royal Opera House debut she stood in for a colleague; Haitink counselled her to "be very careful about what you do ...and take care of your voice", advice which she took seriously.[1] She trained under the house's Young Artist Programme from 2001-2003.
